


Make Yourself At Home

by RedEmerald



Series: Make Yourself A Home [1]
Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Credence Barebone Deserves Better, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, making a family out of strangers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-31
Updated: 2017-02-11
Packaged: 2018-09-21 04:23:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9531326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedEmerald/pseuds/RedEmerald
Summary: Post-Fantastic Beast And Were To Find Them.After he lost everything, Credence is given a new chance to build his life together, surrounded by people who love him.





	1. Chapter 1

Credence didn’t know what happened.

 

He had woken up hours earlier, with a foggy head and heavy bones. He had, somehow, managed to carry himself through New York, to the church. Home. Or what was left of it. He had stood alone in the ruins, as the cloudy sky darkened with the upcoming night. He had remembered, flashes and shadows, the church, the walls falling down; Chastity mumbling in pain:, Mary-Lou screaming; Mr. Graves pushing him away; Modesty hiding in a dark room; the wand snapping in two. He had remembered, clearly, blindly, the monster breaking through his skin, tearing him apart until he couldn’t distinguish the pain in his body and the pain in his heart. Credence had felt as if the floor had opened under his feet. But before his legs could betray him, a hand had fallen on his shoulder. He had then felt as if he’d been imprisoned in the smallest pipe ever. He could barely breathe, barely see, barely hear...

And there he was. He had fallen on the floorboards of what seemed to be a luxurious apartment. He looked around, but couldn’t recognize anything in the colorful room. His confused gaze finally met someone sitting in front of him.

The woman looked like she had dropped to her knees at the same time as him. She couldn’t take her eyes off him and couldn’t stop mumbling what sounded like apologies and “I thought you were dead”, but Credence might not have understood clearly.

Neither of them moved for a very long time, petrified in a similar state of shock. The woman finally coughed a little, dried her cheeks - was she crying? What was wrong? What had he done?! - and smiled. Her smile was a bit wobbly, a bit disbelieving. She felt familiar, like she came out of a dream, or a memory from forever ago... Something in her worried frown suddenly had Credence remembering her.

 

-You’re the woman in the church... With Ma’...

 

She gripped his shoulders and nodded, a teary laughter bubbling out of her.

 

-Yes, yes ! Yes ! I’m Tina. Oh Credence, I thought we’d lost you !

 

If Credence had ever wondered what happiness looked like, he then knew that it was that woman’s face as she sobbed his name, all teary eyes and toothy smile. A commotion came from the other side of a door at that very moment, and a lanky man stumbled out of the adjacent bedroom, calling for Tina. Credence remembered him, from the underground. From when the monster-thing had calmed down for a little while. From stoney walls falling apart and angered voices.

 

-Oh dear, what do we have here, the man said, the same wonder and disbelief in his voice as in Tina’s.

 

The man crouched next to them, his hand hovering over Tina’s back. His gaze met Credence’s for a fraction of a second and he smiled too, warm and bright. Something in this smile, in their voices and their merriment made Credence feel like crying.

 

* * *

 

They knew he was a witcher - a wizard they corrected. They were witches too. They knew about the monster inside him - the Obscurus. Mr. Scamander studied it. It felt a bit less frightening now that he knew its name, than when he called it “the monster”.

Mr. Scamander was hours from leaving, they had told Credence. Tina and him had retreated to the bedroom and were having a very long conversation. Conversation that had apparently turned into a fight at some point, as loud voices could be heard through  the door. Queenie, Tina’s sister, had stayed with Credence and put a gentle hand on his shoulder when they had started arguing. It felt like the warmest anchor and Credence was incredibly grateful for the feeling of protection it gave him. After a couple minutes, she grew annoyed and went to knock harshly on the door. A concert of muffled apologises answered and they seemed to calm down.

 

-Don’t worry, darling, Queenie said, they’re only angry because they care about you. They both want you safe but they’re not sure how to make that happen.

 

Queenie spoke with the softest voice and always careful to sit or crouch next to Credence’s chair when she was talking to him so they were at the same eye-level. Despite the fact that she had produced a couple cups of hot chocolate out of thin air with her wand, she was the least threatening person he had ever interacted with. Because she didn’t feel like she wanted anything out of him. They wanted him safe, she had said. And for the first time in forever, in that foreign apartment surrounded with foreign people, he was starting to understand what it meant. Being safe. Or, rather, not feeling unsafe. Not feeling like he needed to plan a way out or find a place to hide.

 

-I’m glad then, Queenie said, and ran a careful hand through his hair.

 

Ah yes, that’s true. Queenie could hear minds. The thought of it had terrified him when they had explained him what “Legilimency” was. What if she could see the monster in him ? She could, he understood the second their eyes met. But she couldn't help it, she had whispered. And Credence had recognised something familiar in her tone. The creeping and unsettling sensation of a power bigger than him growing in his head and his stomach. She knew, she knew everything. Because she could read him like a book, and because she had lived some of the pages herself. Above all, Queenie knew how he felt and what he needed. If he hadn’t felt that much better with such a simple display of affection, he would have found himself pathetic. But instead, he forced himself to stay calm. Breathe in. Breathe out. If anyone here had wanted to hurt him, it would have happened long ago. Breathe in. Tina tried to stop Mary-Lou. Breathe out. Mr. Scamander tried to stop Mr. Graves. Breathe in. They both tried to stop _him_ from hurting other people. Breathe out. They had seen him destroy the city and were still willing to help him. So Credence relaxed when Queenie pet his hair and told him that everything would be alright. He even tried to believe her.

 

* * *

 

In the end, they gave Credence the choice, which he had not expected. Mr. Scamander was going back to England - so that was where his accent came from ! - early the following morning, and he could try and smuggle him. Apparently he had already smuggled tons of magical creatures so one more wouldn’t be that much. But, Tina had argued, that would make it complicated for Credence to ever come back. Credence hated everything he knew about New York. He had no good memory of his childhood, he had abhorred his home with all his might, the streets made him feel small and dirty and cold ; so so cold. And still he couldn’t imagine leaving New York forever. So he chose the other option and stayed.

The plan was for him to stay low and wait for a couple months so that the Ministry of Magic - dear God they had an entire ministry ! - would forget about him. Then he could leave the country with fake papers. That was just as illegal, but gave him a slightly better chance to be able to travel safely.

Staying too long in New York could only be dangerous. For him and for anyone who approached him. He was supposed to be dead, he had been sentenced to death by the Minister herself. And no one believed for a second they would let him live in peace if they discovered the truth. Tina and Queenie were ready to keep him with them, and to help him prepare for his escape, as long as he didn’t leave the apartment alone. Credence promised.


	2. Chapter 2

A sort of routine quickly settled between Tina, Queenie and Credence after Mr. Scamander left. 

 

Tina and Queenie had to go to work, and Credence would stay in their apartment, mostly sleeping or studying old school books Queenie had fished out of some cabinet. He devoured them, absorbing any piece of information he could about this world he had been kept away from for so long. He especially loved reading about spells and jinxes, curses and hexes, and was continuously amazed with the idea that a piece of wood and intentions were enough to bend reality.

 

When both sisters came back home, they would all prepare dinner together. Credence would gather everything they needed and sometimes set the table, while Queenie or Tina would cook using magic. They would always take his tastes into account and prepare meals he would actually enjoy eating. He never thought a meal would be such a pleasant experience before. 

 

During dinner, he would read all the questions that came to him during the day and both witches would do their best to answer them. Tina, especially, was a good teacher. She knew how to explain very complex ideas with very easy words. She always made sure Credence understood everything perfectly before dropping the subject. And she would test him on things they saw previously, to show him how much he had already learned. It was as close as Credence had ever been to being in school, and it made him feel everyday a bit more powerful, accumulating all that knowledge.

Queenie was better at demonstrating. And she never grew bored of repeating a spell or describing a potion. Their evenings often turned into tiny magic shows, with Queenie executing spells for Credence, at first deconstructing them until they were accessible to him, and then just plainly showing him magic because she could. The colorful bursts of lights erupting from her wand shined in their eyes and on their faces and Credence could still see them for hours once he closed his eyes.   
  


* * *

 

 

It took Credence a whole week and tons of Queenie’s knowing stares to gather the courage to finally ask Tina a question that had been burdening him the whole time :

 

-Do you know what happened to my sisters ? Modesty and Chastity, he added when she didn’t answer right away.

 

Tina put down the fork she had been lifting to her mouth and nodded slowly.

 

-I do.

 

They both stayed silent, trying to put some order in their thoughts as Queenie stood up and went by the fireplace. Whatever was about to be said, she didn’t want to be too close to them. Maybe their feelings were too overwhelming for her ? It occurred to Credence that she might be doing that to protect her sister, in case Credence lost control over the Obscurus. It had been quiet and sleepy lately, but strong emotions had always brought it out. He didn’t feel brave enough to turn around and see what expression was on her face. If she ever was scared or ready to fight him… He wasn’t sure he could stand it.

 

-Credence, you know the law, Tina finally started. 

 

He did. The laws of the Wizarding World were the first thing they had taught him.

 

-You can’t talk to them, you can’t show them any magic, she reminded him slowly.

 

Relief flooded Credence. If Tina was saying that, then they were still alive.

 

-Chastity got badly hurt when the church was destroyed, and Modesty was really scared, but they’re alright now. The only thing is…

 

Tina bit her lip. Hesitated. Her eyes were avoiding Credence altogether. They wandered to Queenie. She closed them to continue.

 

-We had to alter their memories. To protect them.

 

Ice filled Credence’s stomach. Bile burnt his throat. Tears filled his eyes. To what point did they...

-They remember you, Queenie’s voice intervened from somewhere. But they think you are dead. I’m so sorry, honey.

 

Credence opened and closed his mouth a few times, incapable of uttering any sound. 

Very gently, Queenie wrapped her arms around him and he hid in her neck as he started sobbing. An impossibly distraught Tina stumbled off her chair to take his hands in hers, apologizing again and again, ready to take all the blame on her. He couldn’t do anything but hold her fingers as strongly as he could, as if to never let her go, because he knew she had nothing to do with this. Because his actions had led them all there, and because it was what the law demanded.

 

Credence cried for a very long time that night. For the first time in forever, he was allowed to. No one would punish him for feeling something. More than that, he didn’t have to face it alone, and his friends -  _ his friends !  _ \- made sure he was aware at every second that they were there. He just wished he didn’t have to lose everything that mattered to him to gain that freedom.

 

* * *

 

 

Credence got to see his sisters a bit later that month. January had rolled in, slow and freezing. Tina talked him through a thousand steps to disguise and hide him. He compliantly repeated the name of the spells and their effects as she did. 

 

Modesty and Chastity had been placed in an orphanage. A very nice one, Tina pointed out when she saw the dread on his face. Mary-Lou had threatened them so many times to send them there if they weren’t good kids... But, even from the other side of the street, Credence could see how much her absence had changed his sisters. Modesty was laughing and running around in a small courtyard, playing in the spare snow with other children. Chastity too was looking happier, if a bit sickly, as she was talking with girls her age. They looked more colorful, more alive, more real, away from the church and the witch hunt. They looked like any child that thought magic and dreams were made of the same fleeting material.

 

-They’re very young, Tina whispered. They can adapt very quickly. 

-Will they be happy ?

-And safe, yes. They’re considered as victims and witnesses of what happened. We’ll always have an eye on them. Nothing will hurt them anymore.

 

A small low noise left Credence’s throat as he observed his sisters. He let Tina wrap her arm around his a few minutes later, and lead him away.

 

They walked aimlessly in the streets for a while, hand in hand, silently imagining what the two girls’ future might look like, before she apparated them back home.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of thank you's to the people who left kudos and comments on the first chapter or bookmarked the story  
> I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it !
> 
> Chapter 3 will be up next Tuesday or Wednesday  
> Up till then, you can always come talk to me or read smaller stuff I post on tumblr @ maud-eration (.tumblr.com)
> 
> I hope you have a great week-end !


	3. Chapter 3

They stumbled into February, tripping over all the preparations they had to make before Credence could leave.

Tina wrote almost daily to Mr. Scamander and, for Credence who hadn't seen many birds except for the ever-present pigeons, owls became a nice distraction. He even managed to befriend a particularly grumpy great horned owl. His knocking on the windows quickly became Credence's favorite way to be awakened in the morning. It was a new sound, clear and demanding, that didn’t stop until Credence opened his eyes. He’d have to open the window to let the bird in and have his pajamas sleeves nimbled. Everything seemed to annoy his new friend, in particular when it was asked to carry mail. Credence didn’t mind. He didn’t always feel like doing chores either these days.

 

Queenie helped Credence to take care of the most material parts of his journey. She got him a boat ticket, and she took him to secondhand clothes shops so he would have more things to wear than the very few he had saved from the church. She would enlarge some of Tina’s already giant sweaters for Credence to hide in. She also asked him if he wanted a new haircut one day, and didn’t get yell at him when he said he wanted to let it be for a while. He didn’t like the idea of razors so close to his ears all that much. Queenie always had this knowing smile and a gentle gesture when she asked Credence what he wanted to do. She did her best to make things easier for him and he was more grateful than his words could carry. Luckily, she knew that too.

As the days passed though, he got more restless, the idea of an unknown future leaving a bitter taste in his mouth.  

 

* * *

 

He tossed and turned in his bed that night. It was a comfortable bed, and Tina had chosen an armchair close to the fireplace to transfigure it from. From there, he could see most of the room, including the entrance door. It felt safe. Safer than any other places Credence ever slept in.

But right now, so many things were spinning in his head that he couldn’t fall asleep. Tina had found a way to get him passeports. Two of those ! A no-maj one and a wizarding one. He had spent a whole afternoon with Queenie and Tina, picking a new identity. A whole new history. He now had two different names he could show any authority, and the papers were enchanted to show whatever name he wanted to introduce himself as.

Tina had also decided to bring him get a wand the next day.

 

-You’ve not turned into a dangerous cloud in almost two months and you’ve learned a lot about magic, she had told him when she came back from work. It’s time for some practical learning now. A wandmaker I know owes me a favor, it’s time he pays it back.

 

A mixture of panic and excitement was keeping him awake. The Obscurus felt burning hot under his skin, ready to turn his flesh into smoke at any sign of weakness. It had settled behind his stomach, calm and still a bit drowsy from the incident in the underground. Credence could feel it getting its strength back every day, but between the spells it had received all those weeks before and Credence’s own acceptance of his magic, it seemed smaller. A bit less dense too, maybe. Like it lacked substance, and was willing to let Credence tame it if he ever tried.

The sound of the door to the bedroom opening filled him with guilt and relief. Maybe Queenie was used to join him in his sleepless nights by now. Or maybe the low light of the dying fire was enough to lead her to his bed, as she managed to tip-toe across the room without hitting anything. A flicker of her wand was all she needed to extend his bed so that she could sit next to him, like she already had for multiple nights.

It was a habit she had shared with Tina in school, she had told him the first time. Whenever either of them couldn’t sleep, she would join the other in her dormitory. And they would talk, sometimes just a few minutes - short exchanges about their day -, sometimes until the sun rose. Queenie was good at whispering so softly no one could hear past a meter away, and Tina had learned to organise her thoughts to communicate clearly. Credence was still a bit clumsy at that exercise, but he managed to be understood.

 

-It will be alright, Queenie breathed out. Mr Scamander will teach you everything he knows about Obscurials, and you will learn to control it.

 

 _How can you know that_ , Credence thought.

 

-Because he loves teaching about magical creatures. And because he cares a lot. About everyone. About you.

 

A lump formed in Credence’s throat. That wasn’t what was bothering him the most. _Can I come back if I leave ?_

 

-Whenever you want. You will always be welcome here. And when…

 

Queenie threw him a determined look and took a conspiratorial tone.

 

-When Jacob will be back and we have a real house, you will be able to come and go as you wish.

 

Queenie had told him about Jacob the no-maj. She had described their first meeting for hours on end, how she had fallen in love with him in just a few minutes, listening to his thoughts and watching him learn about her world. She had laughed at his first, naughty, thoughts about her. She had whispered, secret, how she had adored his ideas of her standing side by side with him in his dream bakery. He saw her as an equal, she had gushed. “Do you have any idea, how many men see me as an equal, Credence ? None of them. They all see a pretty face, a naked body, and a foolish head.” She had detailed her plan to go look for him as soon as things would have settled down and Tina and her were no longer watched as carefully by MACUSA anymore. A wild sparkle had burned in her eyes as she told him. Credence felt sorry for anyone who would be foolish enough to try and stop her.

 

-Thanks, honey.

 

Credence grinned. _About the wand…_

 

-Ah, does that scare you ?

 

Credence nodded and she gently linked her fingers with his. Her hands were warm and soft and felt like home. Credence’s were cold, constantly cold, as if his skin didn’t know it was supposed to heat up once he escaped the winter weather. She squeezed his fingers gently, and put her head on his shoulder.

 

-It will be great. I remember getting my wand. I was terrified. I had just been sorted at school, I could barely pronounce Pukwudgie, and they put me alone in this huge room filled to the roof by wands. I had nightmares for years after that day where all the boxes fell on me !

 

He giggled at the vision, and she let out a clear laugh that she quickly muffled with her hand. Both of them watched the bedroom door in fear they had woken Tina up. But nothing moved. She exhausted herself too much at MACUSA for them to disturb her slumber. They shared a mischievous smile.

 

-Then what, Credence whispered.

-Then the most beautiful wand ever chose me. It had a mother pearl in shape of a shell on the handle and it reminded me instantly of the stories of mermaids and sirens my mom used to tell me. And it smelled amazing, like the rosewood my dad used to carve into tiny toys for Tina when she left for school. I fell in love with it, and it helped me learn all the spells I know now. You will find your wand tomorrow, Credence. And it will be like you’re born again.

 

* * *

 

And indeed, the wand felt like a second birth. Finally, Credence was a witcher. A real one. One like his mother tried to beat out of him. One like Mr. Graves said he could never be. One like Queenie, who could make a house into a place from a fairytale. One like Tina, who used it to make the world a better one day at a time.

Credence’s wand was made of cedar wood and was incredibly smooth, like it had been polished through the years even though it was brand new. A great wand for defense, the wandmaker had said. It also contained unicorn hair, which had made Credence jump in surprise. _Unicorns ?!_ Tina had then promised she would write to Mr. Scamander and tell him he would _have to_ bring Credence to see some unicorns in a near future.  

Now, said future didn’t feel as distant or frightening. Credence was fascinated with the effect such a small piece of wood had on him. He carefully put away any other memories of touching a wand before. This one was his and his only, and it marked the day he decided to stop being afraid of Mary Lou’s ghost around him. He now had a weapon, a very physical item to protect himself from her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my favourite chapter out of the 4. I love Queenie so much, and I love writing about Credence and her  
> As always, I hope you liked the story so far !  
> A thousand thank you to the people who left kudos and comments <3  
> You can find me on tumblr @ maud-eration
> 
> The final chapter will be uploaded on Saturday !


	4. Chapter 4

Credence left New York a few days before the spring equinox. The air on the port threatened to freeze him to death despite the sunny weather, and people were hurrying on the boat to try and escape the strong wind. It would be a calm trip, the captain had predicted. Credence wasn’t embarking on the newest -and most expensive- kind of transatlantic cruiser, but the whole journey would still take less than a week. In just five days, he would be on the other side of the world. Tina had grumbled that it would be safer to travel with a Portkey, if it wasn’t for the fact everyone thought Credence to be dead. Illegal Portkeys were a gamble with death itself and the idea had been crossed out in a minute. Knowing he’d be on the ocean for so long, without any way to contact her visibly made her uncomfortable. 

 

-I wish I had time to teach you how to apparate, she had told him the night before he left. So you could come back if you had a problem...

 

Both of the Goldstein sisters accompanied him to the docks and hugged him goodbye. Credence smiled the whole time, promising again and again to be back as soon as possible. Tina recommended him twice to use his fake identity as long as he wasn’t around Mr. Scamander, and threatened to kill one of them if anything happened to the other. Queenie held him for as long as she could, and whispered in his ear that she would write him the second she found Jacob. Credence laughed and swore he’d be there for their wedding. He waved his goodbyes once on board and stayed on the deck to watch New York shrink away.

 

* * *

 

Credence spent most of the trip in his cabin, suddenly overcome with loneliness. He only left for a few rare meals, and in his short moments of peace, he would sleep or practice some easy spells he had already learned. But most of his time was spent lying in bed, crying. 

 

More than weeping, it felt like mourning. Credence cried on his lost home, on his sisters who were happier now that they thought him dead. He cried on Mary Lou and the pain she inflicted him, and that she wouldn’t inflect anyone anymore. He cried on Mr. Graves’ betrayal, on how he had just learned that Mr. Graves wasn’t actually Mr. Graves but a foreign witcher with plans to bring the world he knew to ruins. He cried on his separation from Tina and Queenie, his first friends, he cried on their dinners together, he cried on Tina’s clumsy gentleness, he cried on Queenie's easy loveliness. He cried because he missed them, and because he was glad he had people to miss who would miss him too. He cried on the unknown and his hopes of a future he would learn about himself, learn not be constantly afraid anymore.

 

* * *

 

When Credence stopped crying, he felt empty but peaceful. The Obscurus was still there, turning like a tiger in its flesh prison. It didn’t try to escape though. It sometimes nibbled on the cage bars, tested Credence’s patience, but retreated to the darkness of his chest whenever he shushed it away. 

 

* * *

 

London was grey and dark and cold. The sky was grey, the building were grey, even the people looked grey in their winter coats. Spring apparently didn’t know about London at all, or at least didn’t care much all that much about it. 

 

The boat moored on a lazy and rainy afternoon, and people left the decks with a frown. Credence carefully navigated between them, clutching his spare luggage, looking for Mr. Scamander. He had only briefly seen him three months earlier and wasn’t too certain he’d recognize him. He was scared he might miss him.

But even if he had tried, Credence wouldn’t have been able to miss the blue coat and the bright hair. And if Credence hadn’t been able to spot him, the frantic, wide open eyes that were looking for him wouldn’t have made the same mistake. Mr.Scamander was used to find the tiniest creatures hiding in their natural habitat, so a lost boy wasn’t a real challenge for him.

 

They exchanged very little words, both as awkward and unused to almost-first meetings as the other. Mr Scamander - “call me Newt, Credence”- tried very hard to avoid any embarrassing situations, but still managed to get them lost twice just on the way back to the hotel he had been staying for the entirety of his stay in the city. He constantly got distracted by his own thoughts, but Credence managed to understand that he planned on leaving for some expedition  - _ where ? _ \- soon to study something - _ but what ?!  _ \- and that he could use another pair of hands -  _ and arms, and eyes, and ears _ \- around, and he could convince his publisher to pay Credence for this pain.

 

-That is what is planned, for now, he was finishing explaining as he gathered the key from the lobby. I am not too sure yet for later on, but I will help you as best as I can.

-I just want to learn, Credence had but shouted then, flustered.

 

A bit because he just wanted the flow of Mr. Scamander’s words to stop, and a bit because it was the truth.

 

-Well then, Mr. Scamander smiled. I’ll do my best to teach you everything I know.

 

He relaxed after that, and was grinning largely as he opened the door to Credence’s room. His eyes crinkled. It seemed he was already making the list of every spell and creatures and potions Credence would need to learn.

 

-But first… Please, Credence, make yourself at home.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What can I say? There are some clichés I love too much to avoid! Like finishing a story with its title...
> 
>  
> 
> I hope you liked this story as much as I do. I am not too sure what I'll post next. I'm working on a sequel to this, and a Modern!AU, so it'll probably be one of those. If I ever manage to finish them, or at least write more than I have now...  
> As always, you can come to tumblr (@maud-eration) to read smaller posts or just harass me to remind me I need to write. Or say a nice hello, that'd be acceptable too.
> 
> Finally, a special thank you, again, to Shay (AlxSteele), who reminded me I love writing and that sharing stories is cool. You're a good bean, my friend.  
> Thank you to everyone who left kudos and commented too, you make me work harder.

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this fic as a distraction from other things, but I actually finished it, so why not share it ?!  
> Hope you're enjoying ! Chapter 2 should be up for the end of the week.
> 
> Special thank you to Shay, who convinced me to start writing (and to post it). <3


End file.
